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NEW YORK, N.Y. and PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – Today, the ���Ϲ��� and ���Ϲ��� Pennsylvania launch the . The coalition of craft brewers in the Delaware River Watershed united to promote the protection of the watershed as a reliable, clean water source that benefits the people, birds and communities of the region.  

“Birds, people and brewers all rely on clean water to survive,” said Julie Hill-Gabriel, vice president of water conservation at the ���Ϲ���. “Teaming up with local brewers throughout the Delaware River Watershed will not only bolster ���Ϲ���’s efforts to preserve the home of more than 400 bird species – like Red-headed Woodpeckers, Sanderlings and Red Knots; but it also inspires economic growth for local businesses and industries that depend on the health of the watershed and its water.”

Making up at least 90 percent of beer, water is an essential ingredient that gives each brew a uniqueness that depends on the quality of the water in each local community. The newly formed coalition joined forces under a shared concern of preserving a steady supply of clean water from Delaware River Watershed, which provides drinking water for more than 15 million Americans across four Atlantic states: Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

“Water is a necessary component of life. It sustains us. Our planet and all creatures on it need it,” said Carly Chelder, founder of . “Water is also the most important ingredient in making beer. Because we understand the need to preserve our natural resources, we must maintain biodiversity to sustain our environment; and we must keep it clean if we want to continue to make delicious beer and enjoy our local waterways like the Tannery Run.”

“As a small brewery, it is critical that we can rely on clean water for our operation. For any brewery, if we don't have clean water, we can't brew beer,” said Mike Contreras, director of sales and marketing at . “The Delaware River Watershed’s protection and preservation ensure we can bring better beer to the region and keep tap lines flowing.”

“Having preservation efforts in place, especially concerning clean water, is not only important but vital to a healthy planet – and a healthy planet, is a happy planet,” said Sam Masotto, owner of . “The health of the Delaware River Watershed directly impacts me and my business because we need clean water to live and the better the water quality, the better our beer.”

In addition to providing reliable, clean water for birds, people and the brewing industry in the region, the watershed encompasses more than 13,500 square miles of land across Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, including a variety of vast forests, 400 miles of designated National Wild and Scenic Rivers, and 700,000 acres of wetland habitat. Economically, it is a driver of more than $25 billion in annual activity, $21 billion in ecosystem goods and services each year, and contributes 600,000 jobs and $10 billion in annual wages to the economy.

In January 2019, the from the Delaware River Watershed to the 116^th U.S. Congress, urging members to support the watershed and the small businesses that rely on it for economic success. The signees called for congressional members’ support by providing robust funding for the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program in years to come.

To date, members of the Brewers of the Delaware River Association include , , , , , , , , , , , , ,  and .

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About the ���Ϲ���

The ���Ϲ��� protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow, throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education and on-the-ground conservation. ���Ϲ���’s state programs, nature centers, chapters and partners have an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire and unite diverse communities in conservation action. Since 1905, ���Ϲ���’s vision has been a world in which people and wildlife thrive. ���Ϲ��� is a nonprofit conservation organization. Learn more at  and @audubonsociety.

Media Contact: Chandler Lennon, clennon@audubon.org, (804) 832-0832